Drifting Winds
by SamNny
Summary: "The wind came from everywhere and nowhere at all, letting the whole world know that it, like many others, was bound with no direction, absent of any roots, and it was left to roam the land. However, unlike most people, the wind did not feel lost. It was not aimlessly searching for a greater purpose. The wind was just... free." Yukiru


There was something peaceful about the way the wind blew. Whether in a light dance or a raging storm, the wind soothed her troubled soul. The cool gust of air that would accompany it was a silent blessing during a summers evening and during the winter, it was a chilling reminder of the forces of nature. The wind came from everywhere and nowhere at all, letting the whole world know that it, like many others, was bound with no direction, absent of any roots, and it was left to roam the land. However, unlike most people, the wind did not feel lost. It was not aimlessly searching for a greater purpose. The wind was just... free.

And so she longed for the freedom of the wind. Not for herself, but for those she cares about. The dragon, who always put others needs before his own, deserved freedom from his servantry. The ram, who longed to be brave for those he loved, should have nothing more than the freedom to grow into the person everyone knows he can be. The cow, who wants nothing more than to not be recognized as a fool, desperately needs his freedom to prove his intelligence and independence. The cat, who only desires acceptance and love, should be allowed to shine like the bright star in the midnight sky. And although there are many others who deserve this freedom, she believed that more than anyone, the rat needed it most.

The rat, who's always been held to high standards and been walked upon whether he meets them or not. The rat, who must always maintain the appearance of being calm and collected, with a sense of dignity and grace. The rat, who must appear perfect to the world, but must suffer as an imperfect monster on the inside. The rat, who was capable of anything, but was restricted to nothing. Yes, her desire was for his freedom. The freedom of Yuki Sohma.

Despite her dreams and constant wishing, nothing ever came true. She would return home at the end of a long day to the same bickering fueled by the zodiac curse. The constant fussing of the "damn rat" and the "stupid cat" echoed throughout her small home. And as much as it killed her to hear them fighting, she knew it was what made them family. A family that she really wasn't supposed to be a part of, yet they welcomed her with open arms.

However, she decided to let go of her worries on the fading evening and just let the wind carry them away. It would only be temporary, as the wind always seemed to bring them back. The wind that would force her to deal with her problems and face life the way her mother taught her to. She always welcomed those troubles back, telling herself that one day she would have her answer. She would keep asking questions and keep her eyes open to all the possibilities. Even if no one else had faith in her, she knew she had to try.

But for now, she would just walk. With a small bag of groceries in hand, she would walk slowly down the sidewalk. The people around her seemed nonexistent, and for awhile, they were. She took a lot of backroads and moved slowly to lengthen her walk with the wind. There came a point where she found herself off her original path and she somehow wound up on the road to school. But instead of turning around, she just kept going forward, deciding that if this is where her legs carried her, it must be where she needs to go.

She stopped in front of the gate and let her eyes fall upon the building. She couldn't help but smile every time she saw it, because she knew that this place was making her mother's dream come true. Her dream of her baby girl graduating from high school. It was something she never got to do. And wanting nothing more than to honor her mother's wishes, she walked to school every day. Rain or shine, snow or heat, and wind or not, she would go.

Without even realizing it, the sun was nearly completely gone from the sky. In fact, she wouldn't have even known a thing if he hadn't come along. She didn't even see him standing in front of her until he called her name.

"Miss Honda?"

Snapping out of her trance, Tohru gazed up into his violet eyes and a small blush spread across her cheeks. She took a step back upon realizing how close he was. His voice was etched with surprise and his face was laced with worry. He couldn't help but wonder what she was doing at the school at this hour after it had ended so long ago. Not only that, but he could have sworn she would be working till late tonight.

"Ah, Yuki! I didn't even know you were still here!"

"Yes, I had some student council business to take care of. Everyone left early, so I had to finish up by myself. But Miss Honda, what are you still doing here? School was over hours ago."

Smiling her absentminded smile, she waved her hands around and began to slightly panic. What exactly was she supposed to tell him? She didn't want to lie, but would he honestly believe her if she said the wind took her here? So he just watched as she tried to gather her thoughts and laughed when he saw her getting nowhere with it. She looked back at him, curious as to his sudden outburst. When his laughter finally faded, he looked at her with those soft, caring eyes of his, and leaned against the school's front gate.

"I'm sorry, Miss Honda, I didn't mean to laugh at you. You were just so funny to watch and I have to admit that you're rather adorable when you're at a loss for words."

Her face turned a bright red color as she dropped her gaze to try and hide her embarrassment. Of course it didn't work, So Yuki walked over to her and took the bag of groceries from her, and then he smiled sweetly at her when she looked at him in confusion.

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me. But if it's alright with you, since you're here, I'd like to walk home with you."

She nodded slowly at him as he smiled and took a few steps forward, patiently waiting for her to follow. After a few hesitant moments, she took her place walking alongside him. And so then _they_ walked together in peaceful silence, him holding her grocery bag, and her still blushing.

Noting her unusual quietness, Yuki decided to start up conversation, deciding that the silence was very unsuited for the both of them. She was the bubbly, talkative, and warm one. Serenity and silence didn't look nearly as good on her.

"So what have you been doing all day, Miss Honda?"

"Huh?"

She was brought completely out of her trance-like state by his soothing voice and the fact that he called her name. He looked at her, waiting for an answer, and she blushed an even darker shade of red when she realized she had no idea what he had said.

"Um, I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear you. Did you ask me something?"

"Are you alright, Miss Honda? You're acting very strange."

And just like that, she was in her usual frenzy once again, flailing her arms, and desperately trying to spit words out of her mouth to explain herself. This time, though, he was more concerned than he was at the school, and he wouldn't let her get away with staying quiet.

"If there's something troubling you, I would hope you would know that you can talk to me."

She immediately froze, hearing worry and eagerness in his voice, and it made her heart sink. Here she was, keeping secrets about something as dumb as the wind, and he was standing there worried about her. She dropped her arms and stood still as he pressed on.

"I don't want to stick my nose in where it doesn't belong, but I hope that you will go to someone with this and talk to them. If you don't feel comfortable telling me, then I understand completely. Just don't bottle it all up inside. Can you do that for me?"

Seeing her head hung like it was made him feel like maybe he spoke out of turn. Even though he knew he was right in what he said, it just might have been better to let her handle it on her own. To come to someone when she wanted to, rather than to command her to. He took a step toward her in an effort to apologize, but it was her turn to make him freeze.

"If I tell you what it is... will you promise not to laugh at me?"

Completely shocked, he stopped dead in his tracks. Why would she think he would laugh at her troubles? She couldn't possibly think that of him... could she?

"I don't know why it's so hard to say, because it's something completely stupid, but... it means a lot to me. So if you won't laugh, I'll... share it with you."

Pausing to just stare at the girl before him, he felt a wave of guilt and worry fall on him. Guilt for saying anything at all, and worry for anything she might say. But what would he laugh about?

"You see... after school today, I remembered that Shigure wanted me to pick a few things up from the store on my way back. And when I did, I sort of let my mind wander. I started thinking about you guys and the curse... It made me very sad. But then when I walked outside, I suddenly felt better."

She stopped talking for a moment, and Yuki knew that whatever she said next would be what she's been so embarrassed to talk about.

"You see, I felt the wind blow. When I felt the cool breeze, I suddenly started feeling much better. I felt like it was carrying all of my fear and worry away from me. And even though I knew it would come back, I was happy. I was happy that the wind with all its freedom, decided to help me. And, well..."

"Miss Honda?"

"So that's pretty much it!"

Taken aback, Yuki was completely dumbfounded. She was thinking about the wind? She thought he would laugh at that? As crazy as it is, it's just the sort of thing she'd worry about. So not really knowing what else to say, Yuki could only encourage her strange mindset.

"Why does the wind make you think of freedom?"

"Because it never begins or ends. The wind is everywhere, traveling from one place to another, and it never feels lost."

Surprised by her seeming wisdom and depth, Yuki let his eyes soften one more time as he put his hand on her head. As Tohru looked up into his gorgeous eyes yet again, she was able to feel his relief and sense of understanding.

"Do you long to be as free as the wind, Miss Honda?"

"No, not me. I want that freedom for you."

As the surprise and shock hit him again, Tohru's hands flew up to cover her mouth. Unable to believe what she had just said, she went into panic mode for the third time that day.

"And all of the other Sohma's, of course! I want all of you to be free and happy!"

With a tint of pink painted on his cheeks, Yuki smiled brightly at the rice ball and reached out to take her hands. She subconsciously gripped onto his hands and gave them a gentle squeeze as she accepted his warmth. And she watched as he stepped closer to her, still smiling his charming smile, and stopped mere centimeters away from her.

"Thank you, Miss Honda."

He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, lingering for as long as he could. Then he stepped back and let go of one of her hands as he took his place by her side. Her face was flushed red yet again as she pondered what to do. She managed to blink and stare up at him as he squeezed her hand.

"It's pretty dark out. We should probably get back to the house. I'm sure everyone is worried."

Without even thinking about it, she nodded, and they were once again walking home. Together. The rat and the rice ball.

And that's when Tohru smiled as she realized that the wind could not only carry things away, but also bring things together. Because if not for it, she would have never found her way to the school. So she tugged on Yuki's hand until he released hers, only to grab his entire arm and gently hold it. And the two thanked the wind, for even though it did not provide the freedom they desired, it carried them the love that they needed.

* * *

"A/N: I have been dying to write for days now, but I had no inspiration! I finally found some and it screamed Yukiru, so here it is. I hope I kept everyone in character and in order from keeping this from turning into a long note, I'll just say this: I hope you enjoyed this one-shot and I'd appreciate it if you left a review. Please and thank you!"


End file.
